Do I need to dig up lilies for the winter: preparing a shelter, when to cut and how to store

Many summer residents grow lilies in their gardens or flower beds to decorate their summer cottage. These are beautiful flowers that bloom in the first half of summer and bloom for 30-40 days. Before planting such flowers, you need to figure out if you need to dig up lilies for the winter.

Should I dig up lilies for the winter?

It is quite difficult to answer this question unambiguously, since it all depends on the characteristics of the climate in which the plant is grown. For example, if the winter in the region is warm enough, then it is not necessary to dig up flowers. However, despite this, before wintering, you will have to dig up the plant to get rid of weakened old bulbs that will definitely not be able to overwinter.

You should also consider the variety of lilies that are planted in the garden. Some varieties of flowers do not need cutting, as they are resistant to temperature extremes and frost. These plants include varieties bred in Asia. Eastern hybrid types of flowers do not tolerate night drops in temperature and may not survive the winter cold.

In early September, they are dug up, transplanted into pots and left until spring in rooms with a temperature of 5-10 degrees.

Preparing shelter for the winter

It is recommended to prepare a place where flowers will be stored before digging. It must meet the following requirements:

• Moderate humidity. The dug up plant should not be stored in high humidity conditions, as it will deteriorate and begin to sprout.
• The temperature is above zero. The shelter must be relatively warm so that the temperature does not drop below zero degrees.
• Quality ventilation. The plant needs air, and therefore the shelter must have normal ventilation.

Cropping flowers

Before digging, autumn pruning of inflorescences is carried out. They must be cut very carefully so as not to accidentally damage the plant. Experts advise using a sharp blade or garden shears.

Terms and features of digging

Dig up time depends on the variety grown, as some of them can be harvested in late autumn. Most often, gardeners remove lilies from the beds immediately after flowering - in late August or early September. It is very important that digging is done after the leaves of the plant turn yellow. Yellowness on the leaves indicates that all the useful components have passed into the bulbs, and the plant is ready for winter.

When digging up lilies, do not use a shovel, as it can damage the root system. It is better to use a pitchfork, which makes it easier to dig the bulb. They are buried in the ground to a depth of 7-8 centimeters, after which the flower is dug up and carefully removed from the ground.

What to do with dug up bulbs?

Inexperienced gardeners do not know what to do with flowers in winter and how to properly care for them.

Refrigerated storage

Most often dug out bulbs are stored in ordinary refrigerators. Before you put them there, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of this storage method. To preserve the plant, its bulbs are placed in plastic bags filled with moistened peat. Only after that they can be placed in the refrigerator.

The main advantages of this method include the ability to control the temperature, thanks to which the bulbs do not deteriorate until spring.

In the cellar or basement

Inhabitants of private houses and suburban areas prefer to store flower bulbs in basements or cellars. In such premises, at any time of the year, a low positive temperature is maintained, which helps to preserve the bulbs until planting in the spring. However, if the cellar is too old, in winter the temperature can drop below zero. Therefore, before storing lilies in the basement, you need to make sure that it is reliable.

In flower pots

There are situations when, when storing onions at home, they begin to sprout. In this case, you will have to immediately plant them in pots with soil mixture. If this is not done, the seed will deteriorate and be unsuitable for planting in the spring.

Can bulbs be left in the ground?

Some flower growers are afraid to dig up lilies and leave them in open ground.This is quite dangerous, especially if the flowers are grown in northern regions with harsh winters. However, experienced gardeners assure that under a dense snow cover, the bulbs winter normally and do not deteriorate.

The snow cover must be at least fifteen centimeters thick.

If there is no snow cover, the likelihood that the plant will die is extremely high. Therefore, for safety reasons, the area where the flowers are grown is covered with an insulating layer of coniferous paws, dry spruce twigs and peat. When creating an insulating shelter, spruce and coniferous branches are used, as they are the most reliable. Shelter is removed in the spring, when the frosts end and the temperature rises to 5-7 degrees.

People who plan to leave the bulbs in the ground for the winter should remember that this method is used only when growing frost-resistant varieties.This method of storage is not suitable for oriental hybrids, as they will die during the first frost. Even an additional polyethylene coating will not protect hybrid varieties from low temperatures.

Mistakes in caring for lilies in autumn and in preparation for winter

Some flower growers care for lilies incorrectly in preparation for wintering. Here are a few of the most common mistakes you should be aware of:

• Water. People who grow flowers often water them even in autumn. However, experienced gardeners are advised to stop moistening the soil with lilies 2-3 weeks before digging. If this is not done, the dug bulbs will absorb moisture and will germinate in the winter.
• Wrong feeding. Sometimes gardeners, along with watering, stop feeding lilies. Because of this, the bulbs do not have time to stock up on nutrients for the winter and die even after digging. To prevent this from happening, in the fall, mineral supplements are added to the soil in the form of mixtures of superphosphate and potassium.When carrying out top dressing per square meter, 10-12 liters of top dressing liquid are consumed.
• Premature pruning of flowers. Often, people who first started growing lilies do not cut flowers at the right time, which leads to their death. Pruning is carried out only after the inflorescences have faded and begun to fade.
• Dig up the bulbs late. The most serious error that leads to the death of flowers.

Reproduction in storage

Winter is considered the most suitable time for the reproduction of lilies. When performing this procedure, onion scales are used. The breeding process is carried out in several stages:

• Preparation of scales. First, they are engaged in preparatory work, during which all the scales are separated from the bulbs. This is done very carefully so as not to damage anything. You can separate them both manually and using a sharp blade.
• Soaking. The detached scales are soaked in a fungicidal solution or in a manganese liquid. At the same time, they should be soaked for about 40-45 minutes.
• Drying and storage. All soaked scales are washed with water, dried and placed in a container filled with peat. In a month and a half, adult bulbs will sprout from them, which can be planted in a flower bed in spring.
• Planting out. Before planting young bulbs, they are carefully removed from the peat pot. Then they are placed in dug holes and watered.

Conclusion

Lilies are common flowers that are popular with flower growers. People who want to plant them for the first time on their site should figure out the timing of digging up lilies before the onset of winter, as well as the features of their storage, reproduction and planting in the spring.

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